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Reminiscences of Rhode Island 

and 

Y« Providence Plantations. 



When the country is new the people who become settlers there- 
in, as a rule, have little ability or inclination to put their personal 
knowledge into writing. Very much is lost. Many facts and 
statements, however, are handed down from parents to children ; 
and some, having a good memory these statements of the early 
settlers go down to many generations, when the historian appears 
and puts them into the enduring form of print. The majority of 
these histories are short and personal or local. Later the general 
historian appears, who collects the parts and combines them into 
one grand whole. Our colonial fathers were men of strong indi- 
vidualities. After what is legitimate history has been written, 
there remains the reminiscences, or events, that form the minor 
details of history — some instructive, interesting, or perhaps hu- 
morous, as well as instructive or interesting. These reminiscences 
have been written on the foundation of various sources. All 
the older ones I got from Mr. Amos T. Jenckes and my aunt, 
]\[ary Noyes. A few I gathered from other sources, but the 

)i>AAC 'r ■ ! 
-,.;« FOURTH 



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most, all of the later ones, from 1849 and through the fifties, 
I knew of from personal experience. 

Amos Troop Jenckes was born in Providence in 1809. He 
was a man with a good memory. Whatever he heard from the 
older folks he never forgot. He had no inclination to put these 
tales into writing ; but he was a good talker, and of an evening 
he would relate what he had heard, and what, in the course of 
his years, was personal experience. Mr. Jenckes had the faculty 
of seeing the humorous side of things, so in his tales there Avas 
much humor. It is doubtful if there was ever a man who, in 
the course of seventy years, had experience in so many occupa- 
tions. He had been a clerk in different kinds of stores ; he had 
worked in a printing office ; had some experience on a farm ; 
went to sea as captain, supercargo and passenger ; was familiar 
with many things on sea and land. He superintended the build- 
ing of some of the Brown & Ives vessels. Later he devoted 
considerable attention to medicine, whereby he became known as 
Doctor Jenckes. He put up for sale a yellow fever mixture. 
His mother was a Carter, the aunt of John Carter Brown, whereby 
he was cousin to John Carter. The Browns, Carters, Crawfords, 
Updykes, Pitmans, Jenckes and Goddards, all old families and 
all intermarried. The old Crawford house, now torn down, stood 
on North Main street near Mill. Captain Crawford, or Uncle 
Crawford, as he was called, bought the lot at the southeast corner 
of North Main and Meeting streets. He had his cut timber and 
materials gathered for building the new house on this lot. While 
he was off on his voyage the timbei' would season. But he never 
returned ; he was lost at sea, and nothing was ever heard of his 
vessel, himself or crew. So his nephew, Captain Updyke, built 
the house, long known as the Updyke house. Here the family 
lived for two generations. When this Updyke house was built 
it was the finest house in town. Next above it was the Carter 
house — a veiy large three-story house, with a long back building, 
which was built for a printing office — the first printing office in 
Rhode Island and one of the first in New England. The Craw- 
fordj^ or Updyke estate, extended from the line of North Main 
sti-eet to the Seekonk River. Benefit street was then known as 
Back street. When the estate was divided it was divided into 
three parts, which at that time were supposed to have equal 
money value. The Updyke estate was given to one daughter. 

Girt 
,' . jA.uthor 

. ,*• "(Person} 



the Carter estate to another, reaching to Back street ; the third 
portion, then a wilderness, from Back street to the river, inchid- 
ing what in a generation or two was known as the Moses Brown 
farm, was given to the third daughter. When Brown University 
was to be built it was to be named after the man who would con- 
tribute the most money toward building the old " Hope College." 
Nicholas lirown was the man who contributed the most, thereby 
the university came to be known as Brown University. 

The Episcopalians gradually became a strong factor in the 
State. Old St. John's Church, ou North Main street, was the 
first, and one of the first, Episcopal Churches in New England. 
In the early days the Episcopal Church was not very strong ; 
the Baptists were the dominating party ; there were a few 
Quakers. A young Baptist man fell in love with a beautiful 
young Quakeress. It was not lawful in those days for a 
Baptist to marry a Quaker. So the young Baptist said to his 
affianced, the Quakeress, " Ruth, we'll join the Episcopalians, 
and both go to hell together." It seems that she assented, for 
they very soon married. In colonial times John Brown, the head 
of what was afterwards the house of Brown & Ives, was a thrifty 
man. When the Revolutionary War ended he bought up all 
the soldiers' certificates he could get hold of. As the Govern- 
ment cashed these certificates he made a great deal of money, 
and soon was the richest man in Providence. In those days a 
young man hired himself out to some well-to-do man — was 
general chore boy, helped about the house or the office, as he 
was called upon. In this capacity young Mr. Ives went to live 
with Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown had a daughter. After awhile 
the young couple fell in love with each other. Miss Brown 
was, for those days, very wealthy, while Mr. Ives was poor. 
But Miss Brown loved him. The people began to talk. While 
the old folks liked Mr. Ives, they did not desire their daughter 
to marry so poor a man. "Well," said Miss Brown, "I will 
make him rich," so she made over to him her fortune of $75,000, 
wliich in those days was equivalent to a million now. They 
were married, and Mr. Brown took young Ives into partner- 
ship with him, so the house of Brown & Ives was established 
and continued for some three generations. The house is now 
extinct — died out. The last, or the one who would have been the 
last, of the Ives branch, young Robert Ives, was killed at Antie- 



tarn, while actiug as a member of Brigadier General Rodmau's 
staff. The Goddard family, who had married into the Brown 
family, now control the old Brown & Ives works. In colonial 
times, and for two generations after, the house of Brown — 
later, Brown ct Ives — was largely interested in shipping. 
Their ships were mostly in the East Indies trade, though they 
^YvVrii/" ^Iso sailed, to other ports. About 1806, one of their vessels 
visited Odessa, the port of St. Petersburg — the Ann & Hope, I 
think — a large ship for those days, built at Warren, Rhode 
Island. 

In those days such large ships, in addition to a captain, had a 
supercargo, who was surgeon of the ship and business manager 
for the owners. The captain navigated the ship, but the super- 
cargo attended to the business part — looking uji cargoes and to 
the general business of the freight department. While this vessel 
was at Odessa nearly every day a gentleman came aboard and 
made himself quite familiar with Mr. Benjamin Carter, the super- 
cargo. The gentleman spoke English. He was very much in- 
terested in America and the ship. He was a Mason, so was Mr. 
Carter, and this is probably why they became so intimate. How 
l-mg the vessel was at Odjg'ssa I do not know, but two weeks 
would be an average time for such a vessel to be in such a port. 
When the vessel was about to sail the strange gentleman ap- 
peared ; in his hand Avas a roll. As he took leave of Mr. Carter 
he handed him this roll. Mr. Carter was too busy to look at it 
then, so he threw it in on his bunk. The next day, after being 
out to sea, and having time, he looked at the roll. It was a fine 
steel engraving of Alexander I, Czar of all the Russias, and 
the man who nearly every day had been to see Mr. Carter. This 
picture is now in the cabinet of the Rhode Island Historical 
Society. 

In connection with these Brown <.t Ives vessels were humorous 
things as well as grave ones. Mr. Brown did not like the mate of 
one of his vessels, so he decided to get a ncAv man. The new man 
was engaged and the old one discharged. It was near the time 
of Bailing ; the ship was to sail at noon of a certain day. The new 
mate could not be found. Mr. Brown was troubled, indeed, dis- 
gusted, for he liked a punctual man. The old mate was on hand, 
and condescended to ship again. As the new man could not be 
found, Mr. Brown was forced to retake the old man. Some hours 



after the ship had sailed the uew man appeared, but it was too 
late. He had been asleep in a loft within a hundred yards of 
the wharf. It seems that the old mate got him good and drufik, 
then put him to bed in the loft of a warehouse near by, taking 
care to darken all the windows. The new mate awoke, but as 
it was still dark be took another nap and another. After awhile, 
thinking it a very long night, he got up to investigate, and found 
that it was long after noon. He started for the wdiarf, but the vessel 
was gone. Then it bloomed upon him that something was wrong. 
" Where was the old mate?" he asked. "Gone in the shi])," 
was the reply. Too late — all owing to rum. 

When Mr. Brown was making so much money out of the sol- 
diers' certificates, some people did not like it. He bought a new 
carriage. As he rode down by an old cooper shop the cooper 
remarked, in an audible tone, "Soldiers' blood makes good var- 
nish." Mr. Jenckes said that Mr. Brown put his carriage in 
the carriage house, and that it was never out again. Yet we 
can see no necessity for such sensitiveness. Mr. Brown had 
a right to buy these certificates. He was a benefactor to the 
soldiers. There was no one else to buy them up ; thereby they 
got some ready money, which otherwise they might not have 
got in their lifetime. The Government was poor ; Mr. Brown 
bought them all up — all he could get — evidently at a discount. 
After some waiting he got the Government to cash them. We 
see nothing wrong in this transaction, nor any cause for sen- 
sitiveness, as stated by Mr. Jenckes, on the part of Mr. Brown. 

In those early days there were some queer characters about 
Rhode Island and the Providence Plantations — some very in- 
telligent, like the Maun family ; some exceedingly eccentric 
and cross-grained, while others were half-witted. In the thir- 
ties to fifties the Mann family was very prominent. George 
Mann was learned — a college graduate, I believe, but eccen- 
tric, as were all of the Planus. Tom was prominent, even 
afler the war. He disliked President Johnson. He wrote a 
poem on him ; had it published in a " broadside," which he sold, 
peddled from office to office and store to store — everywhere, on 
the street or in buildings, wherever he could sell one for ten cents. 
One of the verses ran thus : 

"^lay he be ten million miles from shore, 
Without helm, sail or oar !" 



6 

In those days the Manns lived in a small house on North 
Main street, about half way up the hill from Mill to Benefit. 
One day Ann Mann was out. A friend called. The furni- 
ture was dusty, so on the table, with her finger, she w^rote 
" Slut." Some days after she was in a friend's house, where 
she met Ann. She said to Ann : " I called on you some days 
ago, but you were not in." " Yes," said Ann, " I saw your 
card." 

In the Mauran family were twins — Nathaniel and Carlo. 
They kept a store. One day a stranger called. He desired to 
see one of the brothers, and asked the colored janitor to describe 
them, so that if he should meet them on the street he would know 
them. The colored janitor's statement was unique : " Deys be 
berry much alike, especially Carlo!" 

Then there was a Mr. Burrows, who was an exceedingly cross 
man. His servant described him thus : " He's der most ebeu- 
tempered man you eber seed. He's as mad as der debil all de 
time." 

Then there is Mr. Waterman, of Johnston, of whom Mr. 
Jenckes spoke. Mr. Waterman kept a great many hogs. People 
were desirous of finding out how many hogs he had, so thereby 
they could the better estimate his worth. One day they got a 
simple fellow to go to Mr. Waterman and ask him. " Mr. Wa- 
terman, how many hogs have you got? " " What do you want 
to know for?" "People are all the while asking me, and I 
don't know what to tell them." "You can tell them you don't 
know, can't you ? " So Mr. Waterman's neighbors got no satis- 
faction. 

In the early part of the century there was a queer old gentle- 
man living in Providence. What his name was I know not. It 
would seem as though it should have been preserved. It was 
then the fashion for young men to go about the streets with their 
handkerchiefs sticking well out of their pockets. He went along 
with his so far out that the boys throught that he would lose it ; 
so they cried out to him, " Mister, mister, you'll lose your hand- 
kerCliief ! " " Never mind, boys ; never mind ; it's pinned in — 
it's pinned in ! " 

In those days we had the dandy — the fellow who got himself 
up in the most attractive manner. The dandy has passed ; we 
no longer see him, and seldom hear the word ; and when used it 



is not used in its old sense. To say now that a man is a dandy, 
to the worhl it means that he is a smart fellow. He may or may not 
pay any attention to dress. The term dude has taken the place 
of dandy. Yet the dude, too, is passing ; indeed he has already 
passed. As people become cultivated they pass beyond the stage 
of the dandy or the dude. 

The colored church up near Meeting street was to have an 
entertainment for the benefit of the church. This is the way the 
preacher advertised the bill that was to form a part of the enter- 
tainment : " The first ladies and gentlemen, ten dollars ; the sec- 
ond ladies and gentlemen, five dollars ; the third ladies and 
gentlemen, two dollars and a half; (with great disgust,) the 
rufty scufl^s, fifty cents!" It is said that there were no rufty- 
scufts at the ball. 

A half-witted fellow by the name of Beany Daniels would put 
his hat, in winter time, over an eel hole cut in the ice, then go 
and hide himself for some days, so as to make people think that 
he had been drowned. Then, after a few nights, he suddenly 
appeared on the hill, with his sled, and began sliding with the 
rest, and as he slid he sang: 

" Some folks thinks Beany Daniels dead. 
But here he comes himself a sliding on his sled." 

Then there was Ben Kit, who used to go about the streets with 
a [Kiper crown on his head. 

One day I saw Daniel Pratt come to town. He came up South 
Main street in a four-wheeled cart. On the seat with the driver, 
bareheaded, was Daniel, with a garland of flowers, roses, about 
his head. He was solemn and grand in countenance, as some 
old Roman might have been who was being honored with a 
triumphant entry into Rome. Some years later I saw Daniel in 
Washington, D. C. The young law students got him to come in 
early, before the professor arrived. When the professor came 
in there was Daniel on his platform talking to the students, and 
the students applauding vociferously. For a moment the pro- 
fessor was dumfounded. He knew not what to make of the 
man or the boisterous applause of the students. But he soon 
advanced to the platform, and Daniel greeted him in a gentle- 
manly manner and retired. I was glad to witness this, for by it 
I saw that Daniel Pratt Avas an intelligent man. The professor 



himself could not have given the young men better advice as to 
how to live and to be upright in their doings with all men. 

"Lives there a man, lean or fat, 
Who has never heard of Daniel Pratt?" 

Yes, we have heard and seen Daniel Pratt. He was harmless^ 
genial, and wise; queer — yes, queer. In these days of kodaks, 
Daniel, as he sat in that cart, decorated with a garland of roses, 
would have been taken, and we should now have a number of 
these pictures. But the kodak had not appeared, so we must 
trust to our imagination. 

There was Johnny Keeth, a harmless, foolish fellow ; harmless 
until some foolish boys taught him bad tricks. In the fifties he 
used to gather swill (garbage) for his father's hogs. He was 
faithful ; very strong ; molested no one. But later some smart 
boys thought it cunning to teach John all sorts of tricks, one of 
which Avas to pull door bells, then run. After awhile he became 
dangerous, so was taken to the Dexter Asylum, where he ended 
his days. John had immense perceptives and large /orm, whereby 
he saw a great deal, and he had a fine memory ; he never forgot 
any one. 

In later years there was Charley Cutter, the clam digger, who 
lived at Warwick. Charley was a most untidy person in regard 
to his clothes, but his untidiness never reached his clams. These 
were gotten out and cared for in the best and neatest manner, 
Charley Cutter was an honest man. Recently his picture in 
Chicago sold for $25. There are few men in the world whose 
picture — a good size photograph — will sell for such an amount. 
Charley Cutter was an unique and original character. 

To come back to earlier times. If one desires to read about 
the early colonial times, read William Jeffery's Journal. One 
quite intelligent man said that the book was made up. To make 
up such a book would be impossible. It is too true to nature and 
to the times in wliich it was written. It is a work that every Rhode 
Islander should read. In the forties and fifties, and thereabouts, 
Providence, and, indeed, the towns along the bay, were interested 
in whaling. I remember the ships Lyon and South America. The 
Lyon, when she was lost, was quite forty years old. She was lost 
on her last voyage, somewhere off the southern coast of Africa. 
The South America, in 1849, was fitted out as a California vessel. 



9 

These California vessels were put on the market in shares. As 
a rule the men who bought the shares W'ere the ones who went 
in tlie vessel to California. My father, Captain John U. Noyes, 
took the brig Ilallowell to California on this share principle. 
The shares for this vessel were $250 apiece. This made each 
stockholder a part owner in the vessel. A good part of the 
cargo was lumber. The Ilallowell also took a small steamer for 
river use, probably about forty feet long. About this time, or 
just before, Kossuth came to America. He wore a black felt hat 
with a black ostrich feather. This set the fashion for many of 
the young men. It was quite a common sight to see young men 
on the street with a black felt hat and black ostrich feather. 

Providence in those early days being quite a whaling port, the 
cooper business was quite active. The coopers of Providence 
were Messrs. Sherman & Howard. In the fifties there were three 
memorable steamboats running on the bay — the old Argo and 
the Bradford Durfee, and the Perry. The Perry ran to New- 
port, the Durfee to Fall River, while the Argo ran to the smaller 
places along the bay, and during the summer was nuich used as 
an excursion boat, running to Rocky Point and to the shore places 
nearer the city. The Argo was the smallest of the three. She 
and the Durfee were propelled by crosshead engines, a style of 
engine now out of date. The Perry was a fast boat. In those 
days the water in the Providence River was clear ; the boats 
running in the bay and river were clean, quite unlike the boats 
of to-day, with their dirty freeboards. Prior to the war, and 
for some twenty years after. Providence was well supplied with 
fine sailboats to let. On the east side two parties, Mr. Benja- 
min Appleton, who was a boatbuilder as well as a letter of boats, 
]Messrs. Ormsbee & Sayres, who kept a ship chandler's store, 
with a bar in the rear. Over on the west side, Childs & Davis, 
like Benjamin A])[)leton, were builders and letters of boats — row- 
boats as well as sailboats. Parties would chip in and hire one 
of the large sailboats for a number of days, and go down 
the l)ay, sailing and fishing. They would take a small rowboat 
in tow for the purpose of going ashore to dig clams, etc. To-day 
this is all changed. Last season (1904) I learned that there 
was only one sailboat in Providence to let. In those days there 
were no steamboats running to the shore places along the bay ; 
it was all sailboat. The Clam House was anchored off the shore, 



10 

just above Field's Point. This was a favorite resort, especially ou 
a Sunday. Jerry Angell, with his boat, and Mr. Ormsbee with 
his, were the two large boats. Then there were numerous small 
boats, some hired by private ])arties, others competing with the 
large boats for passengers. "All aboard for the Clam House ! " 
Avas then a familiar cry. Across the bay from the Clam House 
was the Lionshore, or Crosses, where some went. But in those 
days the Clam House was the favorite. At first the Clam House 
was on an ordinary scow ; but somewhere about 1854 or '55 Mr. 
Salisbury bought the old flat bottom steamer Merrimack. This 
steamer formerly ran on the Merrimack River. She made a fine 
clam house, and was in use up to the last. The Clam House is 
no more ; the sailboats that were to let are no more ; but the 
private yachts have greatly increased. All interested in yacht- 
ing now own their own boats, and they are of all sizes and kinds — 
from the little cat to the ocean steamer — steamers and sailing 
vessels of all kinds. 

In those days of the fifties there was considerable interest in 
boat racing. Benjamin Appleton was the finest boat builder of 
his day. His boats won the prizes. The Old Witch won more 
prizes than any other boat on the bay. She was about fifteen 
feet long, clinker build, painted in stripes of various colors — 
green, red and white. Later Mr. Appleton built the Nouantum, 
the Lurlene, the Owl, and Ole Bull. The last lai'ge boat he 
built was the Oneco, but she was never known by her name, as 
she was painted light blue. She was always spoken of as " the 
blue boat." The Squantum Club was started in the Appleton 
boats. Every year the men who founded Squantum would come 
at times during the summer and hire one of his boats — sometimes 
the Owl, sometimes the larger boats, thej^ Lurlene oi- the Nonau- 
tum. Mr. Frank Mauran was always the captain on these occa- 
sions. It was he who hired the boat and attended to the things 
essential for the comfort of the men during the day. Prominent 
among them was Captain Cady. While Mr. Frank Mauran was 
so prominent ou these occasions, it seems that he did not become 
a member of the celebrated club which he was so active in bring- 
ing about. It would seem that the Squantum Club should honor 
Ml-. Frank Mauran, and have his picture hung in the rooms of 
the club. All sorts of stories have been told about these old 
Squantum gentlemen, some implying that they were a drunken 



11 

crowd. I often saw them coming liome of an evening. They 
were sober, and when the wind had died out they took turns in 
rowing the boat — using the " white ash breeze." So much for 
the story. They were a sober lot of gentlemen. 

The first boats that Mr. Appleton built were keel, but not like 
the old-tashioned keel boats, such as the Swallow and Lucy Long. 
Their bottom was the same as the center-board boat. The keel 
was like a huge fin. About 1853 or '54 Mr. Appleton began to 
build center-board boats. Then he altered his keel boats into 
center-boarders. The Witch, Senator, Skinner and Owl were of 
this class. 

In those early days all the oysters were collected by small 
rowboats. Old Mr. Smith could have been seen every morning, 
(juietly sculling his boat down the river, and towards evening he 
would scull back, going down to " Longbed," just below Field's 
Point, In those days Stargot Island was not so much of a place. 
There were a few trees, a rude wharf and a small building. The 
name of this island is said to be a corruption of the words starve 
goat; that is, the island was so poor that it would not even keep 
a goat ; he would starve there. Starve goat became " Stargot." 

Prior to the war, and for some years after, there were no 
steamers, as now, carrying freight. All the freightage was by 
sailing vessels. In the fifties Providence gradually became a 
great coal port ; at times the river would be full of schooners. 
Then gradually the schooners became larger. One of 250 tons 
came. It was a curiosity ; many went to see it, and it was town 
talk. That was before the time of the three-master. A 250-tou 
schooner was considered immense ; to-day it would be small. 
Now they have three, four, five, and even seven masters, carry- 
ing thousands of tons. The coal market of Providence has grown, 
but there are comparatively few sailing vessels in the business, 
and every year they get less and less, the transporting of coal 
now being mostly by barges that are towed around Point Judith 
from New York. Even in New York city the barge has so en- 
croached upon the sailing vessel that few such vessels are to be 
seen. The steamer and the barge have driven the sailing vessel 
out of business. 

Rhode Island has coal mines, but the coal from them is not 
even in the market. In regard to the Rhode Island coal, a wag, 
some years ago, said that " in the last day a Rhode Island coal 



12 

mine would be the safest place uii whicli to stand." Perhaps 
some da}' some worthy use may be discovered for the much 
abused Rhode Island coal. I have seen a fine fire of it ; it needs a 
good draught, and to be broken up into fine pieces, say nut size 
it makes a very hot fire. 

When they first began to transport coal by barges a man in- 
vented a patented barge. It had large hatchways ; the coal did 
not go way down to the bottom of the hold. About half way 
down into the hold, the sides of the high bin that held the coal 
were slanting, and converged towards the hatches. The buckets 
were let down into these hatches. By gravitation they were filled. 
This patent coal barge did not seem to have been a success, for 
I never saw a second one there, and this one only once. There 
was too much loss of room. 

Rhode Island has always taken a deal of interest in military 
affairs. The old Washington Light Infantry and the Marine 
Artillery in their day were noted militaiy organizations. In re- 
ligion, from the time of Roger Williams to the present, Rhode 
Island has been free. Rhode Island was the pioneer in soul-lib- 
erty, and Roger Williams was the pioneer of this liberty. But 
while the people of Rhode Island were jealous of their religious 
liberty, they were enthusiastic in their State liberty. The right 
of franchise was based upon a real estate qualification. None 
could vote unless they owned real estate. This led to mucli con- 
tention, and finally to the Dorr War. The people of Rhode Island 
were divided into two parties — the Algrines and the Dorrites. 
The Dorrites were not all low people, for many of the first citi- 
zens of the State had come into that party and bravely fought for 
a more enlightened franchise. One of the tyrant tricks of the 
world is to set up some misguiding obstacle, keeping the knowledge 
of it from the public ; that is, kee})ing them in the dark as to its 
true nature, then openly pointing the finger at it, asking the 
people if they want such a thing. This was done in the Dorr 
War. Roughs from New York city were imported ostensibly to 
strengthen the Dorr i)arty ; they were })oiuted at, and the question 
asked, " Do you want to be domineered over by such men ?" Of 
course not. The innocent and good were humbled. At heart 
they were for the wise acts of the Door party, but they could not 
stand the imported roughs, so the grand pi-inciples that governed 
the Dorr party were delayed. But it was sure to come, and those 



13 

who opposed it were the real losers. The people of Rhode Island 
are brave as well as free, so the State liberty in due time was sure 
to stand on the same high platform as the religious liberty estab- 
lished by Roger Williams. 

Up to the time of the war Slate Rock was intact. The rock 
and its surroundings had not materially changed since the days 
of Roger Williams. But during the war a great change was 
made. A cut was made in the bank, and tons of refuse were de- 
posited at the top of the bank. The result was that in a year or 
two the rock was almost buried, and the locality considerably 
changed. It was a vandal trick ; cunning prompted it. Slate 
Rock w^as an eyesore to certain parties. Later the rock was 
blasted. An old poem says " from out of evil thou derivest good." 
The rock was by these knaves blown into pieces. Thereby they 
thought to destroy it forever. But the higher power did not pro- 
pose to have it that way. Pieces of State Rock have been sent 
over the world — the rock of liberty. I have sent some of it ; 
pieces of it have been deposited in other States. . So those cun- 
ning knaves who thought to destroy Slate Rock accomplished 
something of which they did not dream. The rock will be hon- 
ored long years after they and their dastardly work are forgotten. 

When Henry B. Anthony was at the head of the Providence 
Journal we frecpiently in the Journal saw much that referred 
to Roger Williams and soul-liberty. But since his day no ref- 
erence is made to these things. It is late in coming, but there is 
a movement on foot to honor the river and the land about Slate 
Rock. What a grand thing it would be to have a drive along 
the eastern and western shores of this historic river — a drive over 
the bridge and along the shores ! As Slate Rock is now below 
the road, have a bridge over it, so as to preserve the rock and to 
ever keep it in sight. If any other State of the Union had such 
an holy ground it would have been honored. It is not too late. 
Better late than never. The holy ground is here ; let us honor 
it as it should be. Take the pieces of the rock and manufacture 
them into keepsakes. They will be appreciated by people within 
the State; indeed outside of the United States as well as within 
the Providence Plantations. 

The Tockraorton House, which in later years was the Reform 
School, was built when the railroad from Boston came in at Indian 
Point. It was thought to be a fine situation for a hotel, but, like 



14 

the old Vieu de I'Eau House, ou Boydou Heights, it was not a 
success. In those days the Boston road terminated at Indian 
Point, and the Stonington road on the west side of Providence 
River. The old roadbed is still in existence. The station was where 
Hill's Wharf is. A ferry boat, like the ferry boats in New York, 
connected the two ends. The old passenger station is still in 
existence, and is owned and used by the Union Oil Company as 
a storehouse. Where the old Tockmortcn House stood is now a 
park. Another small park was made at the foot of Benefit street, 
on the ground known as Corky Hill, which, even up to 1870 or 
more, was occupied by Irish squatters. This point of the town was 
the Irish center, yet their largest church, the Cathedral, was over 
on the west side. So they had long walks to and from their 
church. In those days beyond East street was " over back." 
Here the boys used to go to play and fly kites. It was great 
kite grounds. Arnold street was the favorite street on which to 
slide ; the grade was just right. But the street cars running ou 
Brook street, which crosses Arnold, put a stop to the sliding. 

In the summer of 1849 there was a grand funeral. General 
John P. Vinton had been killed in Mexico. After the close of 
the war his body was sent on to Providence for burial. It was a 
grand funeral. Like most of the boys, I marched all the way 
to Swan Point, near the band ; for the rest of the day I had a 
terrible pain and soreness in my right side, in the region of the 
liver. It was the second grand funeral that I had seen. The 
first was in New York city, in 1845, when they had a grand Jack- 
son funeral. It was the most unique and solenni funeral I ever 
saw. With the funeral procession were a number of two-wheeled 
drays, such as were then common in New York. These drays 
were decorated with evergreens, and on each dray was a large 
bell. As the drays passed over the pavement these bells would 
toll. It was grand — I have never heard of anything like it before 
or since. The old cobblestones with which the streets used to be 
paved would make a fine road for such a purpose. They would 
impart the motion that would toll the bell. 

George W. Guild, the Mexican war veteran, is a man whom 
we should not neglect. When Mr. Guild returned (1849) from 
the Mexican war he opened a small store on Sheldon street, not 
far from Benefit. In his store he had a little glass case of small 
curios that he had brought from Mexico. Later he became*in- 



15 

tei'ested in real estate. He bought a few acres at the place now 
called Auburn. Here he erected a small building, put up his 
sign, and named the place " Guildville." He had the land laid 
out in small house lots; price five dollars a lot. While Auburn 
is a good name, it is very common. "Guildville " would have 
been a good name and not common. 

In the forties the great gambler of Providence was Charles 
Lawrence. In the seventies he was still alive and carrying on 
his business. He was a plain, gentlemanly man. Seeing him on 
the street you would little dream of his profession. Somewhere 
about 1840 Amos Jenckes received a check from John Carter 
Brown for $600. It was given to him late Saturday afternoon ; 
Sunday or early Monday morning he was going away. He knew 
Charley Lawrence, as he called him. Mr. Lawrence cashed the 
check. When it was presented to the l)auk with the endorse- 
ment of Charles Lawrence, Mr. Brown thouglit that Amos had 
been gambling and had lost his money. For a long time he 
believed this, and was angry with his cousin Amos. 

At the old station, between trains, the hackmen used to get 
together and " Pat Juba." During the war the one who was 
most prominent in this became interested in the enlistment busi- 
ness. There was an enlistment place on Weybossett street, oppo- 
site the Post Office. This man took up his stand near the door, 
and when young men came along who wanted to enlist he would 
direct them to another place around the corner of the Post Office. 
The men in the first office, not getting any recruits, came down 
on the street to see what was the matter. They discovered this 
man at his wox-k and ordered him away. His reply was about 
as impudent as anything I ever heard. " I've been here for 
some time past, and I will be here for some time to come." 

Mr. Samuel C. Green, the author of " Old Grimes," I became 
acquainted with ; he was a genial old gentleman, serious in 
looks; one would little dream that there was any humor in him. 
He had an immense library ; his house was full, even to the 
front hall ; rude shelves were put up there, and they were all 
full. When he died his library, like all other libraries, went to 
the auction room, and sold for a small sum. As a rule, it does 
not pay to accumulate a large library. Horace Greeley was 
sensible in this. All a man wanted, he said, was a Bible, a com- 
pendium, encyclopedia, glossary, and a good atlas. The rest he 
could get in the libraries. 



16 

Down town, in the old Third Ward, lived Mr. Underwood, 
house painter. The old gentleman got along financially very 
well. He was made a director in the old Merchants' Insurance, 
or home insurance company, whose office was in the Whatcheer 
Building. The old gentleman dressed himself up fine. I did 
not know he could dress so fine. For a number of mcniths he 
went daily to the office and with the others sat there with his 
feet upon the window sill. After some months of this the first 
thing we knew he was back to his old paint shop, with his over- 
alls as of old. He looked natural. He had had enough of the 
insurance office. The remainder of his days he spent in the old 
paint shop. 

In the early days, up to the forties, at least, the rough part of 
the town was Olney's Lane. Here were gathered peo})le from 
all parts of the world — black and white. It had a bad reputa- 
tion. 

There was a queer old negro character who for many years had 
rooms in "the old Franklin House — Charles Green. He was a 
caterer and general waiter. But as he advanced in years his 
business departed. He had a large assortment of crockery — 
some very fine ; later he moved into an upper room in the back 
building of the Whatcheer. 

In this day — 1850 and later — Benjamin Appletou's boat shop 
was a center for very nice class of young men. In the day time 
they would come to hire boats ; in the evening to loiter about 
the wharf, tell stories, &c. Charley Abbot was a great boatman ; 
Dick Jackson was a scholarly young man, familiar with literature 
— a good swimmer and first class skater. There was Henry 
Spooner and Henry Appleton et al. Among the common wharf 
class were Dick Cripple, Ira Penal, Mose Smith, et al. Ira Penal 
went to sea, and when he came back it was said he could not 
sleep. So his mother would go out in the yard and dash pans 
full of water up against his window. This was a yarn they told 
on Ira. Of course, his friends did not believe it. 

One of the strangest things that ever occurred was the singing 
of martial songs two years at least before the war. I do not re- 
member all, but I remember a part of one of those songs : 

" We're marching along, we're marching along, 
The conflict is raging, it will be fearful and long ; 
Then gird on your armor, and be marching along, 



17 

We've enlisted for life, we'll camp on the field, 
Jehovah's our captain, we never sliall yield. 
The Sword and the Spirit will be trusty and strong ; 
Then gird on your armor, and go marching along." 

This was even before the campaign that led to the election of 
Lincoln. 

The old grammar schools were grand institutions. Mr. Amos 
Perry taught in the Sixth Ward, and a Mr. A. W. Godding in 
the old Third Ward. There was rivalry between the two schools 
as to which should have the better attendance. In the Sixth 
Ward they were exceedingly sharp. If a boy was to be absent 
for only a day, he would take his books and leave school. There- 
fore he was not absent. It was not long before the Third Ward 
boys heard of it, but the teacher never seemed to understand it ; 
if he did, he kept it to himself, and did not refer to it. I was 
the first and only boy who tried the Sixth Ward plan in the old 
Arnold street school. It was in 1853. I was going to New 
York to see the World's Fair. According to the Sixth Ward 
plan, I took my books and left school. I was gone two weeks. 
When I returned Mr. Godding would not let me re-enter. I was 
kept out of school a week, and had to go to the Superintendent, 
then Mr. Green, for readmission. I told him the whole story. He 
said nothing, simply giving me a permit to re-enter school. When 
T missed in spelling the teacher would say, " That's New York 
spelling;" when 1 missed in grammar, he would say, " That's 
New York gramnuii-." In those days the children were taught 
to write compositions, and one child read the other's composition 
before the school. John Spooner, a boy of ample confidence 
and loud voice, read mine. My title was, " My Visit to New 
York." And I did not stop with the New York visit, but told 
of the going, the returning, and of the teacher's treatment. It 
was all innocently done, but it had its eflTect. When John 
Spooner got along to the spelling and grammar he voiced it well. 
The teacher became red in the face ; the school knew not what 
to think of it. The teacher said to John, " Stop, and take your 
seat." That ended the spelling and grammar. 

The front yard of the school was a barren gravel enclosure. 
Mr. Godding suggested to tiie scholars to form there a flower 
garden. On Saturday he came and worked and sui)erin(en(led ; 
the girls brought flowers and seeds, the boys came with spades 



Li^vW 



18 

and shovels and such tools as they could find about their houses. 
The result was a pretty front yard. 

Mayor Rodman, as is well known, late in life studied for the 
Episco])al ministry, and was made a minister. He had a grand 
voice — the grandest I ever heard ; it was like the deep, rich 
tones of the organ. Mr. Rodman was to preach out at Paw- 
tucket. He went into Aaron Town's barber shop to get shaved. 
He had a l)oil coming on his nose. After being shaved he went 
to the glass and surveyed himself, taking a good look at the nose. 
Putting his finger uj) to that organ he said, in his grand voice 
and style : " Mr. Town, do you think that this boil on my nose 
will interfere with my parochial duties to-morrow ? " Old Tru- 
man Beckwith was there. He at once said: "Not half as much 
as your don't knoAVS." 

Some time late in the forties the gas works were established in 
Providence. Mr, Barnard O'Neal was the superintendent — 
" Barney O'Neal," he was familiarly called. Barney was a char- 
acter — a gentleman, dressed as for a party, or grand ball, every 
day. In the summer, wearing white duck pants and vest, with 
dark coat and light beaver hat, Barney would drive around in 
his buggy to see how the men were doing their work, and would 
try, by kind words, to direct them. Sometimes they w'ould not 
understand, so down he would jump into the trench, and do it 
himself; his clothes he did not think of. After putting things 
to rights he would get into his carriage, drive home, and very 
soon was out again, with a clean suit. Barney O'Neal was a 
kind man. To my knowledge he made at least three men, and 
prominent they were, and are to-day, such as are alive. He took 
Mr. James H. Armington into the gas works, and gave him prac- 
tical instruction in manufacturing gas. When he retired, in a 
few years, Mr. Armington took his place ; later went to Brooklyn, 
where he was superintendent of larger gas works. He did the 
same to Mr. Samuel G. Stiness, and Mr. Stiness went out to Paw- 
tucket and became head of the gas works there. Later he did 
tlie same for Mr. Andrew Hutchinson, who became his successor 
in the Providence Gas Works. And Mr. James Hutchinson, 
the brother of Andrew, he put into the office at the works. Bar- 
ney O'Neal, as he was familiarly called, was a kind and able 
man. 

The early carpenter shop was quite unlike the carjienter shop 



19 

of to-day. Then, prior to 18B0, all the work had to be done by 
hand. Gradually machinery was introduced. One of the great 
firms was at the north end,' Moulton & lugraham. While I 
knew both men, I was very intimate with Mr. Tngraham. He 
often came into Mr. Morse's architect office to bid I'or work. He 
was a fine mechanic, and understood construction. What I 
know of construction I got from him. The large firm on Benefit 
street, opposite the old John Carter Brown house, was Sweet & 
Carpenter. Mr. Sweet was a tall, slender man, while Mr. Carpen- 
ter was very short and thickset. For years this firm had the 
cream of the work in Providence. Then there was Messrs. Pea- 
body & Wilbur. Some of the old masons were Dunfree, Barney 
& Millard. When Mr. Albert G. Angell was building his house 
on North Benefit street he was very familiar with the workmen. 
He wanted to know all about every part of the house. If he 
was this way about his work, it is not surprising that he suc- 
ceeded. He was thorough. 

In the fifties there was a peculiar murder — old Mr. Pulling, 
father of the man who for many years was on the detective force of 
Providence. Old Mr. Pulling was a watchman — they did not have 
policemen in those days. Mr. Pulling was on duty on the west 
side, somewhere near Union and Broad. He was hit on the head 
with some heavy stick. Who the villain was or what prompted 
the act was never known. Mr, Pulling was a worthy man and 
faithful watchman. 

During the war the street car lines were established. Prior to 
that there were omnibuses that ran from the corner of Hope 
street to Olneyville. 

Cotton and molasses then came to Providence by vessels. The 
cotton was stored in large storehouses. Dishonest persons would 
go down to the wharf where the cotton was being unloaded and 
steal what they could. When a load of molasses came in, after 
the hogsheads were out on the wharf the bungs W'ere opened so 
as to allow the molasses to flow out without damage to the barrel. 
After school the boys would go down to the wharf, get a short 
stick, and " lab lasses." This was very inviting to the boys. In 
those days Providence had a large foreign trade, and many were 
the foreign ships in the harbor. They brought mostly coal and 
scrap iron for the rolling mill, where railroad iron, iron wire and 
nails were made. The rolling mill chimney was a landmaik. 



20 

It was said to be 125 feet high. Mauy years ago the old rolling 
mill shut down ; the business was transferred to Swansea on the 
Taunton River. 

Next to the rolling mill, east, was the Jenkins & Dyer distil- 
leries, where rum was made from cheap sour molasses from the 
West Indies. 

All the shoemakers — cobblers — whom Ihavemet have been re- 
markable men, and very intelligent. Mr. AVhite and Mr. Stay- 
ner both repaired boots and shoes for Mr. Brickly, who kept a 
shoe store on the corner of South Main and Transit streets. Mr. 
White was a large and austere man — very dignified ; a zealous 
Christian — a man with no humor. Mr. Stayner was the opposite 
of Mr. White in about everything. He was small ; a man full 
of wit and humor; intelligent; and more of a scholar than Mr. 
White. Very soon he left Mr. Brickly and on Wickerden 
street opened a cobbler shop for himself. His shop was a center 
for the free spirits. When the Rochester knockings came Mr. 
Stayner was the first man in Providence to take up the work of 
the Fox family. 

In 1850 the Propeller Line was opened, with the small pro- 
peller Osceola. The company bought and built other boats. 
Besides carrying freight, they carried passengers. In order to 
be in New York early in the morning these boats had to 
leave Providence at noon. Now the huge steamers of the Provi- 
dence line wait until eight p. m., or later, and get into New 
York by five or six o'clock. Benjamin Buffam was the agent 
for the old Propeller Line. He was a very fat man, but this 
did not interfere with his activity. He was an able man. The 
line prospered. 

Down at Indian Point, on the East Providence side, was a 
lai'ge railroad building. Here was stored the first cars that ran 
on the Boston and Providence road. They Avere like the English 
style. Somewhere about 1854 to 1870 this building got afire, 
and the building and these old cars were destroyed. The old 
locomotives were small; and th(> trains were small. In the 
fifties, on the Stonington road, there was a morning and a night 
train, and the steamboat line. The road so prospered that they 
decided to attach a passenger car to the freight train that left 
Providence for Stonington at half-past one r. M. This was 
called the huckleberry train, I suppose because of the long stops, 



21 

when the passengers would have time to get off and pick huckle- 
berries. 

In the 1856 (Fremont's) campaign there was excellent speak- 
ing. Most of it was on the floor of the old station, after the 
trains had gone out for the night. 

We all, in those days, remember Moses Toby as he rode about 
the city in his low buggy and Quaker coat. He was the agent 
of the old Jenkins estate. Mrs. Jenkins, it is said, picked him 
up on a road, down in Maine, brought liiiu to Providence, gave 
him a good Quaker schooling, then made him manager of her 
estate. But he was a poor manager. Instead of the estate pros- 
pering, it gradually became reduced. He might have been a 
good man, but not a good business man. Seth xVdams was quite 
another style of man — plain, businesslike, and withal a kind 
man. He was the first to build an elevator in Providence. Corn 
then all came by schooners. In the winter, when the pigeons 
could not get much to eat, Mr. Adams would feed them with 
his corn. In 1857 came the financial crash, when so many 
went down with the house of Sprague. Mr. William Sprague 
had been the Governor, and later was United States Senator. 
Some twenty years prior to this they had a crisis. Old Mr. 
Waterman went into the Exchange Bank and tried to get a note 
discounted. When going up the stairs there was no one there ; and 
when he came down an old man had come into the entrance to 
tie u}) his shoe. Mr. Waterman was wrathy ; he gave the man a 
kick. " Damn you, get out of here ! You've been here all the 
forenoon !" The old man was astonished and got out as soon as 
possible. 

Every winter there were two courses of lectures — the Mechan- 
ics and the Lyceum ; they were good institutions for the times, 
and I think they might still do good. The lecturers were of great 
variety ; some dignified like Charles Sumner, Wendell Phillips, 
and Frederick Douglas ; then there were the light and humorous 
kind, such as John B. Gough and others. 

The cove in those days was a circle of water, but in a few 
years it became filled with the earth brought down by the 
river. At low tide it was half mud. In the winter, at low tide, 
the wild ducks came in flocks and fed upon what they could 
there find. They knew that they were there protected. It was 
a novel sight, and you could go within a few yards of them. 



22 

The old brig New England for many years was familiar to 
the citizens of Providence. She made regular voyages to Matan- 
zas, Cuba, taking freight and passengers. It is said of some of 
the down East vessels that when they went to Cu])a all the way 
they dropped laths, leaving them in the water, so they could find 
their way back. This is a sea yarn, 

The sewing machine in the early fifties came to the front. Mr. 
Gibbs, a Virginia carpenter, was the inventor of the Wilcox & 
Gibbs sewing machine. Mr. Wilcox furnished the capital, and 
Mr. Gibbs the invention. He came to Providence and got Brown 
& Sharp to build the machine. Owing to the fine work of Brown 
& Sharp was evidently due the success of this machine. It 
holds its own to this day — the only successful single-thread ma- 
chine in the market. The inventor is dead. When Mr. Joseph 
Browji thought of starting out into a larger field, he invited 
his head watchmaker, Mr, Wheeler Blanding, to join him. But 
Mr. Blanding was conservative, and declined. So Mr. Brown 
proposed to Mr. Sharp, his bookeeper, and this was a wise selec- 
tion, Mr. Sharp was a good business man, while Mr, Brown was 
master of the mechanical part. They made a good company. 
About this time blotting paper came into use. We shall never 
forget the opposition to these things, the sewing machine in par- 
ticular. It was going to be the ruin of poor women. These men 
were all wrong. The sewing machine has been a blessing. With 
blotting paper it was not serious, but many arguments, and there 
was not much opposition to it. "Give us the old sand box ! " 
was the cry. "It is good enough for us." But the sand box 
has gone, and the blotting paper has the day. Things not more 
foolish have been taken into politics. 

About 1854 the jewelry business was very active in Provi- 
dence. Young men left school to go into the jewelry shop to 
learn the trade. Charles Rhodes, or " Bub Rhodes," as he was 
called, was one. In those days almost every boy had a nick- 
name. One was " Tappy Mason ; " " Fatty Kelley " — why 
Kelley was called " Fatty " was out of harmony with his build, 
for he was about as slim a boy as there was in Providence. One 
boy was called " Monkey." He resembled one. So most of the 
boys had a nickname. 

The streets of Providence are the poorest laid out of any city 
in the land. When a new section is to be taken in, instead of 



23 

making it conform to the adjacent land, it is laid out independ- 
ently. Beyond Ho])e street, in the fifties, was coninion. At the 
head of Transit street a man built a house facing the middle of 
Transit street — and he was allowed to do it. In no other city 
would he have been allowed to do this. When they decided to 
extend Arnold street and the streets beyond, they were all 
jumped. All over the city of Providence it is the same. Poor 
judgnient, making irregular squares and corners. It is now too 
late to remedy this. It never should have been allowed. 

Fred. Roscoe was the bookkeeper of the rolling mill. He was 
English by birth, though having an American father. Being born 
abroad, little was known of his birth and family. He was a 
man of dry wit. He took pleasure at night in going up to the 
station, and relieving the ticket man. One night a burly, im- 
portant fellow came in. " What time does your railroad get 
in?" " Five minutes after the depot leaves," said Roscoe. The 
man left in disgust. 

In those days all the tropical fruits we had came to Provi- 
dence in small schooners from the West Indies. Bananas sold 
at retail for ten cents apiece. The same bananas to-day sell for 
ten cents a dozen ; and smaller ones for five cents. 

The old-time people had their drinks, as well as the people of 
to-day. Lager beer was not known. The first lager beer place 
opened in Providence was in 1856, on South Main street, west 
side, just below Balche's apothecary shop, now ClafHiu's. The 
second place was over on Pine street, on the corner of Dorrance. 
Both of those shanties are still standing, or were last year (1904). 
The other di'inks were New England rum, gin and brandy. 
What they call brandy to-day is no more like the brandy of old 
than gill is like it — it is like whiskey. I have seen the brandy 
from California. It is all the same ; called brandy, but tastes 
like whiskey. Cherry rum was a great drink in those days. It 
was made by letting rum stand for a month or two on wild cher- 
ries. It made a very pleasant drink, and was good for summer 
complaints. About 1856 the Maine liquor law came in force, 
and all sorts of contrivances were on foot to circumvent it. 
To-day we think the Tillman, South Carolina, plan original, but 
in 1856, or thereabouts, we had the same thing. The city had 
its dispensaries, and sold liquor. Another dodge was to have gin 
put up and labeled " Schneidam Schnapps." The Maine liquor 



24 

law, wherever tried, results in hypocrisy. Men who like liquor 
will have it, and they are wiser, that is, more subtle, than the 
children of light. So there is no better way than a moderate 
license, with the shops as open as any other shops. 

The last ox team was that of Silas Talbot's. Up to the time 
of the war, about, he drove his oxen through the streets of Provi- 
dence. Mischievous men and bo3's would play all manner of 
tricks with his oxen. When he would go into old Sam Guild's to 
get a drink, they would start his oxen up the street. When 
Talbot came out his oxen were either out of sight or a number 
of blocks up the street. Mr. Talbot was a geutleman. He 
minded his own business and never interfered with others — and 
was never seen under the influence of liquor. The most of his 
work was the carting of dirt and ashes, though sometimes he 
carted small goods. The delivery system, so common now, was 
not then known. If you wanted anything at the store, you took 
your basket and went for it. Paper bags were not then known. 
To encourage trade, the grocers and provision men gradually 
introduced the system of delivering goods. In the fifties the 
" Union Store" was introduced. Those who dealt at these stores 
were silent partners, and got their goods for a slight per cent off". 
This system does not seem to be very flourishing to-day. 

Before the war, in 1860, there was a most exciting State cam- 
paign for Governor. Seth Paddleford was the regular Repub- 
lican candidate ; Sprague was the Union candidate, i. e., a union 
between the Democrats and Independents. Van Zant was em- 
ployed on the Sprague side, and he was a man of influence. No 
finer stump speaker ever lived than Van Zant. During national 
elections he was always in demand in the larger States, like New 
York. He was humorous without being low ; powerful voice ; 
good presence, ready to take advantage of existing circum- 
stances. Van Zant was a grand man. He should have been 
sent to Congress. Had he been, and were he from some large 
State, he would have been Speaker. He was Speaker of the 
Rhode Island House of Representatives. He was a fine presid- 
ing officer. Paddleford was beaten. Colonel Wright was a 
power in those days. He was Sprague's right-hand man. Later, 
however, Mr. Paddleford became Governor. After his defeat 
he went to Europe, visiting France. The Frenchmen gave a 
new sound to his name. He was no longer Mr. Paddleford, but 



25 

Mr. Pad-del-ford. It pleased Mr. Paddlcford. After he re- 
turned, and it was generally known that the Frenchmen had 
given such a beautiful sound to his name, it was an insult to call 
him by the old sound. 

The Arcade, built in 1828, was a great and wonderful structure 
for its day ; and to-day it holds its own, there being nothing 
like it elsewhere in the county. It is unique. If a Wanamaker 
or a Shepard should take the whole building and make it into 
a department store, what a bazaar it would make! There was 
much opposition to the department store. It killed out many a 
small store ; but it never seems to have occurred to men to intro- 
duce it into politics, as they have the trusts. Yet the application 
of it is the same general principle. Man first opened a store by 
himself; then he took a partner ; then extended his business to 
other places, formed a company; and this is all what the trust 
is. The name is not appropriate. It should be known by what 
it is — a large stock com})any, unrestricted in territory. 

The name Weybossett is always spelled with one t ; yet I think 
it better to have two t's, to be in harmony with Massachusetts, 
Narragansett, &c. 

There were two prominent men in Providence in the fifties and 
earlier and later — Otis Mason and Amos Perry. Otis Mason 
began business, when he was young, as a cobbler ; then got to 
keeping a shoe store. He was thrifty, had few wants, saved 
money, got enough to live on, then retired and devoted his life 
to study. He was a man of scientific attainments, and was by 
the State appointed to examine into and report upon the geologi- 
cal formation of the State. He lived to a good old age — near 
80, I believe. Mr. Perry began life as a country boy. Being a 
man of fine mental development, the country life was not to his 
liking— he had aspirations for something high. He went to 
school ; taught school ; went to college ; graduated ; became one 
of the teachers of Providence. Then, later, through Senator 
Anthony, he obtained the position of consul at Tunis. On his 
return he wrote a fine book on Tunis, old Carthage, &c. He 
then I'etired, and accepted the position of Secretary of the Rhode 
Island Historical Society, which position he held up to the time 
of his death. Thomas Ives was prominent in those days before 
the war. He took great interest in yachting. He had a famous 
boat, the Ceres, built by Mr. Appleton ; later he had this en- 



26 

larged and made into a fine yacht — fine for those days — a sloop 
about forty feet long. That was the average size of the yachts 
of that day. Mr. Ives was a member of the New York Yacht 
Club. Wlien we see the size and character of the yacht of to-day 
it is amusing to think of what in the fifties was called a yacht. 
About the beginning of the Avar Mr. Ives had a new yacht built — 
a schooner. This he offered to the Government. He received 
an official rank in the Navy, and, with his schooner, was on duty 
along the lower Potomac. He was familiarly called Tom Ives. 
He was a fine man, retiring, with a look and complexion much 
like Napoleon. He did not specially resemble Napoleon, but 
the complexion was the most prominent feature of resemblance. 

The fruits of Rhode Island, particularly its apples, of late years 
have deteriorated. The Rhode Island Greening was a favorite 
apple. In Western States they raise a finer Greening than in 
Rhode Island. Then there is the Yellow Sweeten, the finest 
apple that ever grew. It is a fine eating apple from early fall 
until spring. It is also a fine winter apple, and good for all sorts 
of cooking. I wish that more attention was paid to the Yellow 
Sweeten. 

As we know, the Hazards have been prominent in Rhode 
Island. There were a number of families. Roland G. Hazard 
of Peacedale was the most prominent. He established his woolen 
works at Peacedale and built up a fine business. He was also a 
man of fine scientific attainments, the author of a fine work on 
physics. Then there was the genial Ned, as everybody called him, 
a gentleman of the old school, a prominent lawyer. I think I have 
the last letter of importance that he wrote. One day when I was 
visiting Wakefield, and riding by, I saw him sitting on his ve- 
randa. I went home and wrote "The Old Man on the Ve- 
randa." It was published in the Narragansett Times. It so 
pleased Mr. Ned Hazard that he wrote me a nice, long letter, 
and seemed very happy over the thought that he had thus been 
noticed. Roland Hazard, the son of Rowland G., was very promi- 
nent, especially in the South County. He succeeded his father as 
the head of the Hazard works at Peacedale. For about thirteen 
years he was the President of the South County Fair Association. 
His yearly presidential address was a model ; few, if any, to equal 
it in the country. Without attempting to teach the farmers any- 
thing about farming, he was an instructor, a leader of high order. 



27 

He died comparatively young, I think under sixty. South 
County will ever remember him with pleasure. He was a good 
and able man. 

Contemporaneous with the Hazards and Potters was Nathan 
F. Dixon. One year, when I was down to South Kingston, 1 
visited the court house. There was a case before the court, in- 
volving a boundary line, and Beaver Dam was the central point 
of interest. Elislia Potter and Mr. Dixon were for the {)laintiH". 
It was easy to see that the plaintiff side had no case. But the 
lawyer must say something, so Mr. Dixon arose and addressed the 
jury. He rung all the changes possible on " Beaver Dam," until 
the old court house rang with " Beaver Dam !" " Beaver Dam !" 
So it has occurred to me to call such an argument (an argument 
with nothing in it but noise) the " Beaver Dam argument." 

Providence was well represented in the artists, and I knew 
them all. There was James M. Lewen, who lived in the old 
Third "Ward, now the Second Ward. Lewen was a most delicate 
handler of color. He removed to Boston, dying quite early. 
Providence never produced a better artist. Tom Robinson was 
one of the galaxy. Tom was poor, but he attracted the attention 
of some rich people, and they sent him to Europe. He paid his way 
by copying pictures in the French galleries. His forte was cattle. 
There was Mark Waterman, the only peer of Lewen. He, too, 
went to Boston, and is still living, I believe. He is remarkably fine 
in color. John Arnold, as all know, has devoted his life to por- 
traits ; yet I once saw a small landscape by him that was fine, 
particularly the color. Fred. Batchelor was one, too. His forte 
was animals, particularly small dogs. Leavitt, who has recently 
died, was the most successful of all. He was a good draughts- 
man ; knew how to handle color ; was a most industrious man 
and artist. He began by painting still life, mostly ducks. Then 
he introduced ornamental ware — bowls, jars, &c.; later he painted 
mostly flowers — roses, currants, &c., occasionally painting a few 
odd things, such as fish, portraits and small landscapes. Mr. 
Bannester came in a little later. He was a colored gentleman 
from the West Indie.-^. He painted fine landscapes, and some 
historical figure subjects. His sale was mostly in Boston. He 
was originally in Boston ; later came to Providence. Then there 
was another unique, universal genius — Charles A. Shaw. Lands- 
cape was his best point, and he painted fine trees and foliage. 



28 

but he was bent ou painting fruit. As a fruit painter he was 
not a success. Had he confined himself to landscape he might 
have done well, but he would not. He would neglect the land- 
scape for fruit. As a painter of fruit he was a failure. There 
were two other portrait painters, but I only knew of them as 
the world knew them, so know little about their work. Let others 
tell about them. 

In the early days Providence had its shipyards. They called 
the vessels that they built ships. There were more sloops than 
anything else. The first shi})yard was up Canal street, nearly 
abreast of St. John's Church. In the fifties the shipbuilding in- 
terest was I'evived. The jSLvd was near Indian Point, about where 
the Norfolk steamers now land. Mostly schooners were built 
here. There was the Daniel W. Vaughn, the Wild Pigeon and 
the Wanderer. The Wanderer was particularly fast. 

Where the steamers now come in, at Foxpoint, was a marine 
railway, run by Mr. Clandell. He was a great man for horses, 
and, from time to time, owned a number of very fine ones 

The fire engine department was one of the queerest things 
known to man. Up to about 1856 there was a volunteer system ; 
then a regular pay system was introduced. The world never saw 
a more angry set of men than those volunteers when they were 
disbanded. They called it fun to get up of a winter night, 
mercury below zero, to run two or three miles to a fire ; when the 
fire was out, and they got back to the engine house, they were 
served with crackers, cheese and hot cofiee. Here the social 
part came, and was the charm of the fireman's life. Without 
his crackers, cheese and hot coffee the fire department would 
have furnished little pleasure for him. The Pioneer was an in- 
dependent company. Every season some of the engines used 
to visit other cities, and the firemen from the other cities would 
visit Providence. At the fire there was much contention as to 
which machine could play the best stream. There were conten- 
tions between the companies often growing out of the stream. 
The Pioneer and the No. 4, which had its station on Transit 
street, were never friendly, and it took but little to bring about a 
row between them. The old Whatcheer was the old fi)gy com- 
pany of the city. As it was near to me, I ran with it, sometimes 
carrying the torch for them. When the volunteer system was 
broken up the firemen met at the engine houses, held indignation 



29 

meetings, and they were very indignant. The steam fire en- 
gine came later. The great fire of Providence was the old Jen- 
kins house, which stood where the Hoppin house now stands. 
Mrs. Jenkins, with her two daughters and son, lived in this 
house. It was a wooden structure, after the style of the John 
Carter Brown house on Benefit street. It was a very cold De- 
cember night, morcury below zero. The citizens gathered. ^Irs. 
.lenkins and one the daughters were burned to death. Later, 
Mr. Tlionias Hoppin, the artist, married Anna, the other 
daughter. Moses, the son, lived mostly abroad. He died early. 

Mr. Thomas IIop})in was an unicpie character ; America never 
produced his like. He was tall, thin, and always dressed in ex- 
quisite taste, wore a beaver hat, and carried a light cane. English 
style, he wore the monocle. He generally had a fine greyhound 
fuUowing. While an aristocrat, he was kind and polite to all. 
He married the richest woman in Providence. AVhen such a 
couple comes together, it shows superior qualities in both. The 
rich, cultivated woman wants a cultivated man ; money does not 
figure ; she prefers the poor man with culture to the rich man that 
is wanting of it. Mr. Hoppin was familiai'ly called Lord Tom 
Hop])in. He died some years ago, and his widow mari-ied an- 
other man. 

On the posts of the old Herreschof house on Power street, re- 
cently purchased by ]\Ii-. Marsden Perry, are statues, or better, 
bu.sts. They use to say that when these busts heard the clock 
strike the hour of 12, midnight, they would turn around. Many 
foolish people went up there nights to see these figures turn 
around. 

In the days of the old volunteer system the firemen use to sing 
at the iires. It made their long hours and hard work seem shoi't 
and light. 

"I catched liold of the handle, 
And give it sucli a pull, 
That I could not stop pumping 
Till I filled the biler full. 

Chorus — Captain on the quarter-deck. 
Scratching on his head. 
Fire away, my bully boys, 
The yellow boat's ahead! 



30 

Chorus — Whoop, jamber reen, 
Whoop, jamber reen. 
Vinegar shoes and paper stockings. 
Get np old horse." 

Then there was Du da — 

"I bound to run all night, 
I bound to run all day, 
I'll bet my money on the bob tail nag. 
Who'll bet their money on the bay ? 

C7/on(.s — Camptown races, three miles long, 

Dn da, du da, 
Camptown races, three miles long, 

Du da, du da, 

Du da da^^ 
Boston Light Guards can't be beat, 

Du da, du da. 
As they come marching down the street, 

Du da, du da, 

Du da day. 
Down with her boys, down with her. 
No. Four is beating us — 
Down with her." 

Most all of the old lire engines had mottoes, such as " Yeni, 
vidi, vici," from Caesar : " I came, I saw, I conquered." In the 
old volunteer days there were a few machines known as the hy" 
draulion type. They were very high, and had an upper and lower 
tier of working bars. They were powerful machines ; did not 
throw a stream any further, but there was a greater supply of 
water. 

And so the weary hours wore away, with no thought of the 
heat or cold. When the firemen wanted to run there was always 
some convenient old building on the outskirts that would, in 
some mysterious manner, get on fire. Then there was a run to 
see which machine would reach the fire first, and get in the first 
stream. In those days they had no water service, but in conve- 
nient places the city established reservoirs. These were sometimes 
inadequate, when the fire was a large one. Then they would have 
to double up, one machine taking the water from the other — the 
water taken from some distant reservoii- ; when near the river the 
river water was used. The favorite i)ictures hung up in the engine- 
houses were various types of Mose, a New York Bowery gentle- 



31 

man. " Saxey, youse hold tlie butt, while I lam that fellow out 
of his boots." 

lu the early fifties the Bowen line of packet sloops was a 
favorite way to go from Providence to New York. These sloops 
were fast sailers; were fitted up with bunks for passengers. The 
Americaji was the latest and fastest. She was painted black ; 
the others, the William H. Bowen, the Thomas Hull, the Juno, 
and the rest of the line, were painted in fancy stripes, each stripe 
about six inches wide — red, white, blue and green. One Sunday 
afternoon I was down at Foxpoint Wharf. A good wholesale 
breeze from the south was blowing. Along came the Thomas 
Hnll, Thomas Hull, captain. She went by under full sail, carry- 
ing a large bone in her mouth. He sw'ung his hat, and cried : 
" Only tw'enty-four hours from New York !" It was good sailing 
and few vessels could beat it to-day ; seldom the w ind would be 
so favorable. 

About this time there was a fearful storm off" the coast. Cap- 
tain Desbrew was ca})tain of a Providence schooner. He sailed 
from the Delaware Breakwater with a load of Hour. The other 
captains, seeing the storm, remained at anchor, int C •^nin T)ps- 
brew went on out to sea. Nothing was ever seen di nun, m^ 
crew or his vessel after that. Some barrelheads were picked up 
that were supjxjsed to have come from his vessel. 

Reuben Guild, the librarian of Brown, was a fine man, kind 
and gentle to all — a man who was exceedingly accommodating. 
When I first went with Mr. A. C. Morse, the architect, he had a 
very good library, but when he saw that I was making good use of 
it, it gradually disappeared, he taking the books to his house. In 
this dilemma I spoke of the matter to Mr. Guild. "Come up 
to the library and get what books you want." I availed myself 
of his kind oft'er. 

Professor Gannnell, of Brown, was the President of the Rhode 
Island Historical Society. Professor Gammell was a severe look- 
ing man, but when you met him at the Society he was most genial 
and polite. Mr. Beckwith, who was hard of hearing, objected 
to members coming in late. The noise from their shoes pre- 
vented him from hearing. He complained, and requested that 
they be required to take their seats near the door, and not dis- 
turb the meeting. Professor Gammell, in his quiet, cultured 
way said : "As a Rhode Islander, I should hardly want to assert 



!^> 



such T_ to Mr. Beckwith, lie said, in 

r!i -" - Zwrckwiili. if Toa cannot hear we 

^ T-ve nT> to the front." And yet this 

a at a o- - ' "^ere 

_ . 1 :• ^-^: .--.;:£. Preic^- - ...gen- 

tleman. 

. : streei, near. the 

:.. ^..-: „ _— . _c .:_ a history. V As- 

secib.T was in sesion some of the members and pr>:>minent 
; . - ~ ~ - lays 

i: : - r^T- 

T.i'-day it is shorn of this porch, and k^jfcs quite tame. A grand 
with stately columns, add? much to the dignity of a 

In the fifties a large and new file raetory was ^tablished. Mr. 
r ^ ^ "^ 1 ^L Sharp's- 

^ciureoifii^- A c-ompany was then for: 

T H:^E-=e -T'li r : he State 

1 - . xite - zg was of a g»»i and stately design. 

''r-^" ' "~- StiKe Htjuse it was much en- 

- _ - - _ - - -^reatl of gi'^Tng it to a firsT<-lass 

is >£r. A. C. M> ; : to one : - 

;^ .._-:_ -- --.— ^--A-i who ;_ ^^-- .. .:-_rW all al> ..:-.--.. - 

teetare as well :i2. He simt>Ivmadea bt>tch of the 



of the peculiar ^ : . TKese black pe'^ple of 

" - — " hite 

- - : - ^ ■ :\^ an 

American is unlike a Turk. Tliey have the ways of the white 

man. There '- ' ' " ' z of the 

'* r."' S»:>aie Tr . ... 

->re. 

or. 

"I»>k here." I said^ "too were never down Sxith. They 
dng ihis song that wax, re. They ang it this 



33 

' I have a house in Baltimo', 
Horse cars go right by de do', 
Brussels carpet on de flo'.' 

" That is nigger." And, strange to say, the poor white trash 
of the South, and even the most of the better class of whites, talk 
just like the plantation negro. In 1856, Bully Brooks, in the 
United State Senate, struck down Charles Sumner. All over 
the Xorth indignation meetings were held. We, the scholars of 
the Providence High School, too, held our indignation meeting. 
Mr. Crosby, the teacher, presided. The house was full. The 
first speaker called was William King. He went to the plat- 
form. "Mr. President, this is a most momentous occasion '" 

He became confiised. " Mr. President, this is a most momentous 

occasion " Stops. Again : '* Mr. President, this is a most 

momentous occasion " Stops. Repeats: " Mr. President, 

this a most momentous occasion." The teacher then said : " Wil- 
liam, you may sit down." The next speaker was Stephen Essex. 
He could not have been more than sixteen then, yet he went to 
the platform and delivered as fine an address as the most gifted 
man could have done. In those days there was great prtimise 
in Stephen Essex, but liquor got the best of him, and as he 
grew in years, instead of improving, he deteriorated. He always 
had the fine voice and address of the orator, but he lacked in 
something to say. He had not applied himself; had he read, 
as he should have done, he would have been a most successful 
lawyer. He opened a law office, but, neglecting it for drink, 
secured no practice of value. One day I was in his office. A 
repulsive, low woman came in. They retired to a small cubby- 
hole, about four feet square. When she went out I heard her ask 
him, ''How much?" His reply was, "One dollar." I said to 
myself, ''K you bad been true to yourself you would now be 
demanding tees of a thousand dollars instead of one doUar." 

Essex is now dead. What a lesson is his life for the young 
man I In the southern part of the State there was another man 
with a similar experience, Elisha Clark, though he did better 
than Essex. He secured a fine practice : was William Sprague's 
attorney. When the farmers of the South County got in trouble 
it was, " Hitch up. and see who will reach Elisha Clark first." 
But liquor got the best of Elisha, and he succumbed to the mon- 
ster rum. What a theme for the temperance orator ! Both of 
these men were highly gifted, and one, Essex, was a fine orator. 



34 

The fifties were remarkable for the events that took place 
around Providence. Daniel Sickels was a first-class inventor. 
He invented the cut-off. Thurston & Green, then the style of 
the firm that is now the Providence Steam Engine Company, 
bought the Sickels patent. George H. Corliss invented a cut-ofl', 
too. It was simply an infringement upon the Sickels invention. In 
the name of Sickels the Providence Engine Company sued Mr. 
Corliss. He employed the first lawyer of the country, William 
H. Seward, and won ; Mr. Sickels was left out in the cold. So 
it has been with many an invention. The man whose name goes 
with the invention oftentimes is not the inventor. Many a man, 
who would not steal your purse, will, without conscience, steal 
your invention. It is no wonder that poor inventors hang about 
the Patent Ofiice and get the credit for being insane on this 
point. 

The passing generation well remember the old ferries — the one 
at the foot of Janes street, and the other at Hill's Wharf. The 
boats were double enders, and some twenty feet long ; seats all 
around. The ferryman stood up, about one-third way from the 
bow, and crossed aud pushed the oars. These boats, morning 
and night, when the crowds were the greatest, would go loaded 
to within two or three inches of the water's edge. The fare was 
two cents. The ferrymen were Dotey and Croty. What their 
last names, or their true names, were I know not. These were 
evidently nicknames. 

A unique and wonderful woman was Miss Elizabeth Bowen. 
In her younger days she was of one of the F. F.'s of Providence. 
Her people owned the old Jenkins house, aud there she lived. 
She had a brother, Henry. He ran through with the property, 
and in her declining years she was left destitute. In the fall of 
1849 Mr. Samuel Douglas, the father of the present Chief Justice, 
was then chaplain of the State Prison and superintendeut of the 
town charities. He put Miss Bowen to board with Mrs. J. U. 
Noyes, then 344 Benefit street. Miss Bowen was tall and very 
thin, dressed always in black, with small white dots. For six 
years she never went out of the house, with the exception of 
going into the back yard. She was a remarkable woman. She 
was an intense Whig, and could talk " protection " with any 
one. She wore a white turban, like a Turk. In religion she 
was an Episcopalian. She lived to be about seventy-six. 



35 

We of those days remember old Zachariah Taylor, with his 
ruffled shirts. 

In those days ]Mr. Burgess, who afterwards became Mayor, was 
on a lark. Very early one morning, before sun-up, he was dis- 
covered under the porch of the First Baptist Church, singing: 

"When I can read my title clear 

To mansions in the skies, 
I'll bid farewell to pork and beans 

And live on pigeon pies, 

And live on pigeon pies. 
I'll bid farewell to pork and beans, 

And live on pigeon pies. 
O, that will be joyful, joyful, joyful, 
0, that will be joyful, to live on pigeon pies." 

Some time in the forties the American Screw Company began 
to come to the front. For a long time there were no dividends 
and the stock was a drug on the market ; men who held it parted 
witli it for very little. But after a while it came up, and became 
one of the most valuable stocks in the country. Albert G. 
Angell, for years, was the president of this company. With such 
a man at its head it must prove a success. 

One of the queer characters of Providence was John B. Chase, 
who kept a grocery store under the Brown & Ives office, on South 
Main street. Mr. Taylor came to Providence to take a position 
in Brown & Ives office. He arrived early and took a walk down 
South Main street. Meeting ^Nlr. Chase, he inquired of him 
where was the office of Brown & Ives. " I have the honor to be 
the good Episcopal foundation of the house of Brown ct Ives." 

Providence, in the fifties, had two remarkable architects — 
Thomas Teft and Alpheus C. Morse. Mr. Teft was the designer 
of the celebrated railroad station, so recently taken down to make 
room for the present railroad station. He was also architect of 
many fine buildings in Providence. When he had reached the 
highest rank of his profession he went abroad, and died in 1859 
at Florence. Old Mr. James C. Bucklin was as a father to him 
and assisted him in many ways. He was architect of the AVatch- 
cheer Building, the Paris Hill house on Washington street, and 
many residences and churches. Mr. ^lorse came to Providence 
about 1854. He designed the Thomas Hoppin house on Benefit 
street. He married Miss Pierce, the sister of Edmund D. Pierce. 



36 

For mauy years he prospered, and Avould have prospered to the 
end had he been practical. His designs were all chaste and 
classical. For a few years he was in partnership with Mr. Clifton 
Hall ; then, later, in 1859, for about two years, Mr. Alfred Stone 
was his partner. But Mr. Morse could not get along with any 
one ; he must be by himself; a practical man as a partner annoyed 
him. Besides being an architect, he was a first-class crayon 
portrait artist. 

Another prominent character was the Unitarian minister, Rev. 
Dr. Hall, of Hall's Church, on Benefit street, corner of Benev- 
olent. 

In most cities the movement is toward the west, and for some 
years this was the case in Providence, but shortly after the war 
the movement changed toward the east. What brought this 
about was the cable road up College Hill. 

The doctors of Providence were the peers of those elsewhere. 
There was old Dr. Parsons, who was Avith Perry on Lake Erie. 
I only speak of those whom I knew. There were others, worthy 
men, but I was not familiar with them. There were Drs. Ca- 
pron, Peckham, Ely ; Dr. Okie, the homoepathic doctor ; Dr. 
Armington, of the old Third Ward, whose office was on Wicken- 
dam street near Benefit. Young Dr. Okie, son of the elder Okie, 
was a very promising doctor. He had good practical ideas. His 
treatment was of a practical nature, coming under the head of 
preventive medicine. He removed to Boston, flourished for a 
few years, and died comparatively a young man. The Winans, 
of Baltimore, thought so much of him that they took him to 
Europe with them, and one winter he lived with them in Balti- 
more. 

" Scup's come !" was in those early days a well known cry. 
Clams were peddled about the streets. "Blow your horn if you 
don't sell a clam !" Frost fish were then common in the river. 
Under almost every wharf was a frost fish pot, and in the morn- 
ing it was full. But the filthy condition of Providence River 
drove those fish away, so they are now no longer seen and caught 
there. 

■ Before the Avar there were no regular towboats. The river 
steamers would at times be called upon to tow large vessels up 
the bay. The What Cheer was built for a towboat. After a season 



37 

or two, mostly at Newport, she was leugtlieiied and made into a 
regular passenger boat. 

In the fifties the boys had small fire engines. The Second 
AVard boys had a very fine one. The Third Ward boys got one. 
It was a cheap affair beside the other; its works were of tin, 
but it had a large chamber. Saturdays the boys would get to- 
gether and have a "squirt." The Second Ward engine, on the 
outside, was larger and finer, but the old Third Ward engine 
had the inside works ; and then there was more spirit in the 
Third Ward boys — their machine beat. 

In the fifties Mr. Crawford Allen was quite a figure. Young 
Crawford, the sou, had a small sailboat of his own. Mr. Allen 
was a prominent member of the firm that ran the Calico Printing 
Works, at the north end. His relative, Zachariah Allen, was 
not only a business man, but was a fine scientific man, and is the 
audior of a fine work on physics. 

Albert F. Allen — no relative of these Aliens — was a sergeant 
in Battery H, First Rhode Island Light Artillery, during the AVar 
for the Union. When he came home, he became inventor of fire 
engine supi)lies, and for some years was flourishing. He went to 
New York on business ; returning, he lost his life in the steam- 
boat train wreck near Richmond. 

As has been remarked. Providence became a great coal market. 
Mr. Joseph Hodges, in those days, in the fifties, was the most 
piominont dealer. At his yard the mine-broke coal was first in- 
troduced ; also the sawing and splitting of wood by machinery. 
I II those days there was a large force of men with small hanniiers, 
handles like a pick. Coal then came in large chunks, some in 
cubes of a foot. Some people objected to the mine-broke and 
demanded yard-broke, and were willing to pay extra for it. 

" Gray Trouble" was a fast horse of his day ; he was owned 
ill Providence. There was " Honest John," owned by Mr. Cran- 
dall. Mv. Peleg S. Sherman always bought old race horses ; some 
of them were very fast. In those days Mr. Jacob Morgan, who 
lived on the southeast corner of Benefit and Sheldon, kept a 
livery stable, and Mv. John Brown, his neighbor on Sheldon 
street, was a large teamster. Mr. Lake was a teamster ; had an 
old-fashioned truck, and hauled for the South Water street mer- 
chants. Mr. Green, who lived on Transit street, corner of Mo- 
hawk alley, was a prominent citizen of the Third Ward. Mr, 



38 

Crocker kept a little store ou the corner of Thayer aud Transit. 
Opposite was Mr. Luther, the plumber, aud his neighbor was 
Mrs. Thayer, a widow, with a handsome son and daughter, 
William and Scora. 

Prominent in politics was Major Pirce. The Major was a 
fine stump orator. In Senator Anthony's time he was prominent 
in the Republican politics of Rhode Island, but after Anthony's 
death the Journal folks became unfriendly to him. He ran for 
Congress, was elected, but they worked uy) a case against him, 
and after serving two years in the national flouse at Washington 
he was ousted, and a Democrat put in his place. In one of his 
speeches the IMajor told a good story of a man who came to 
Providence many years ago. He was a man whom no one liked, 
and when he left all were glad. One of the gifted speakers of 
that day described this man after this manner: "He came 
amongst us uninvited, and ou his departure there was no restraint." 

When President Waylaud came to Providence one of his duties 
was to preach in the First Baptist Church. He Avas uncertain 
as to whether he could fill the large church, so he got a nephew 
to go up into the farther gallery. If he could not hear his uncle, he 
was to raise his handkerchief. He kept on raising his handkerchief 
until the minister, it was said, was holloaing like a loon and w^as 
very red in the face. It was thought that the nephew put up a 
practical joke upon his uncle. 

In those days, when Dr. Wayland was President of Brown, 
a student took a keg of beer up to his room. This was against 
the rules of the college. Dr. Wayland, hearing of it, called 
the young student to his oflice, and enquired about it. The 
student admitted it; said that he was not well, so the doctor had 
prescribed beer. Accordingly, he got a keg of beer aud took it 
to his room. " Have you derived any benefit from it?" "I 
think so, doctor. When I took it to my room I could hardly 
lift it, now I can lift it with ease." It is not related what reply 
the Doctor made to this. He discovered in the student a germ 
of smartness. 

Professor Chase was prominent ; for a while was President of 
Brown. He was also a school committeeman, and would visit 
the schools aud talk fine to the scholars. In 1874 I was at the 
dedication of the new high school, on Summer street. George 
I. Chase was billed to speak. Whih^ I knew the man, I could 



39 

not see liiiii uu the platform. Ikit wheu he arose to speak I rec- 
ognized the voice. He had been to Europe, and while there had 
grown a full beard ; prior thereto he was always clean shaven. 

The Rhodes family down town were queer people — Gus Rhodes 
and his sister Mary, always called Moll. She dressed herself up 
in men's clothes, and shipi)ed aboard of a vessel. They had a 
queer story about her being a forty -gun frigate, &c. I should 
not care to repeat it here. 

Professor John Pierce was a kind and able man. He per- 
fected the telephone, but received no credit for it. He is now 
dead. 

Rev. James Eamcs, the brother of the Hon. Benjamin Eames, 
was a devout, genial and able E})iscopal minister. He was pastor 
of the old St. Stephen's Church, on Benefit, corner of Transit. 
This church now goes by another name. His wife was an accom- 
plished writer. 

A queer character in Providence was the Rev. James Cook 
Richmond, an Episcopal minister. He had no church, or rather 
was unable to hold one for any length of time. He did mission 
work, and preached in the various churches. By the Rev. Henry 
Waterman he was often invited to preach in old St. Stephen's. 
He was called to a church in Newport, but his stay there was 
shoi't. One Sunday he took for his text, "The ])oor shall have 
the Gospel ])reached to them." Looking over the church he said, 
" Where is the place for the poor here?" His stay at the church 
was short. He was a great European traveller. At Vienna he 
met a young man who was al^out to graduate from the church 
seminary. He had a thesis on the innnortality of the soul. 
Turning to Mr. Richmond, he said, '' You are not such a fool as 
to believe in the innnortality of the soul, are you?" Richmond 
replied, " I will not be so big a fool as to come and hear you." 
He had high ideas of the ministry, and often said that it was the 
most noble and highest calling (jn earth. In the winters he fre- 
quently gave lectures on his European travels. He was a most 
learned man and a pleasant lecturer. He was charged with being 
insane, and for a number of months was in the liutler Asylum. 
His last charge was a small church up the Hudson. In his neigh- 
borhood was a family with a bad reputation. He called the girl 
of the family a "strumpet;" for this the father and brother 
waylaid and beat him so unmercifully that he soon died. Thus 



40 

went out the light of oue of the grandest and most fearless men that 
ever lived. He did some good in the world. But for his eccen- 
tric nature he might have done more good, and had an influence 
that would have been far reaching. But he was James Cook 
Richmond. He did not look like a sensational man, but he was, 
and this peculiarity killed this influence, and was the cause of 
his death. 

George B. Jastram, the father of Pardon, was a prominent 
citizen of the Third Ward. He was a school committeeman. He 
failed in business, then went to Colorado, where he died ; as did 
also his wife, a most estimable lady. 

One of the smart school boys was Frank Cooley, who lived for 
some years with his uncle Mr. Jastram. Frank was a perfect 
story-book boy, in education and culture far above most of the 
boys of his day ; but he ceased to grow after he was sixteen. He 
knew Latin, some Greek, and was a graceful speaker; but for all 
this proficiency he was not a success in life. He died young— 
when he had only by a few years passed the thirty -year mark. 
Liquor was the cause of his non-success. Like Essex and Clark, 
his talents were stultified by liquor. Oliver H. Washburn was 
a different sort of man. He came to Providence about 1850, 
and was made president of the rolling mill company. 

I must not neglect "Ned McGowan." He was a faithful 
watchman for the rolling mill. 

In 1815 we had the September gale; in 1868 it was repeated. 
Fearful havoc was made by these gales. The water was above 
the wharves; trees were torn down, and just east of the city the 
tornado mowed a path through the woods which, at a little dis- 
tance, looked like a well-laid out road. 

Prior to 1860, on the east side, about two-thirds way up the 
hill on Wickenden street, was a Chinese pagoda. At this jiagoda 
on Fourth of July fii-eworks used to be fired. 

About 1854 Mr. Barnum brought a Chinese junk to Provi- 
dence. It was located at Foxpoint wharf, and an admission 
fee to go aboard was charged. Many boys got aboard without 
paying, by crawling in through the rudder-post hole. Why the 
Chinese make this rudder-post hole so large, I do not know. In 
running before the wind in a heavy sea much Avater must be 
shipped through this large hole — a hole as large as a barrel. 
Perhaps the idea of this large rudder-post hole is to keeji the 



41 

Chinese seamen near laud, the government not wanting them to 
wander far out to sea for fear they may learn something it does 
not want them to know, this being one of the devices to keep 
the populace from learning much about the outside world. 
Did the Chinese know more about the outside world, it would 
be better for them. It is in harmony with her having no rail- 
roads or modern improvements. These things all go together, 
and are the means of keeping the people ignorant. In the long 
run the upper classes sutler as well as the low and ignorant. 

On Wickenden street, near Hope, was Mr. Thomas Holland's 
house. Mr. Holland was a ])lack man, intensely so, a prosperous 
stevedore, and carried on an extensive business. He was a very 
large man, weighing probably two hundred pounds or more. He 
had one daughter, a line and ladylike woman. It is said that 
Tom, as he was familiarly called, would give any white man 
twenty-five thousand dollars to marry the daughter. People also 
said that Tom would be willing to be skinned alive if he could 
only be white. Some years later he sold out in Providence, and 
went to Liberia. 

Prior to 1856 cottonseed was a nuisance to the Southern planter. 
About this time a process was invented by which the seed could 
be hulled and converted into oil. It makes a fine oil, equal to 
olive oil. When it was first put upon the market it sold for 
olive oil, but after its reputation was established it was sold 
under its true name. 

About 1854 a new model sled appeared. It was called the 
Clipper, It was long, and there were no nails or screws in the 
irons, from front to back. The irons were secured at the front 
aud the back, so there was little friction. The wealthy Second 
Ward boys were the first to have them. 

In the fifties there were two prominent dancing masters. They 
had halls in a building on South Main street, a large brick 
building, on the west side, about a square below College street. 
To Mr. Capron's school went the more quiet and conservative 
class. Mr. Alexander Eddy was the Beau Brummel of Provi- 
dence. It was amusing to see him on the street — always in full 
dress, a tall, handsome man. The class that attended his school 
were the elite of Providence. He taught all sorts of dances. 
The german had not then been introduced. The most attractive 
dance to me was the Spanish dance, and a pretty dance it was. 



42 

The couples formed in a circle about the room, couples facing 
each other; forward and back; take hold of hands; crossing 
each other; then waltz around, the couples going in opposite 
directions, in each case couple number one going to the position 
of number two. The dance Avas continued until each cou])le 
came around to the starting point. 

A few doors below the dancing school was Louis Lcniisson's 
clothing bazaar. He was about the first Jew to start such a 
store in Providence. It was sensational, and quite unlike any 
store prior thereto in Providence. 

In the summer of 1870 I was aboard the steamer Perry, coming 
from Newport. The Eagle's Wing, a steamer about the size of 
the Perry, came from outside, from New Bedford ; she was to 
take excursionists the next day to New Bedford. The boats met 
just north of the Breakwater. At this time both boats were 
carrying their normal steam. The Perry was slowly working 
ahead, and they were pretty evenly matched. When we got uj) 
by Sandy Point, the Perry was some lengths ahead. Very black 
smoke was seen to issue from the smokestack of the Eagle's Wing. 
This indicated that they were firing up with more combustible 
material. She gained on the Perry, and passed her. By the 
time we were abreast of Canimicut the Eagle's Wing was 
some lengths ahead. Now the Perry began to use wood ; the 
black smoke began to roll out of her stack. Steadily we gained 
on the Wing ; when off Pautuxet beacon the boats were about 
abreast, the Perry steadily gaining. Then fire was seen to come 
from her rival. About this time there were few boats on the 
bay, but in a very short time the water was thick with them. 
Where did they all come from ? They appeared as if by magic. 
Then a river steamer was going down. The Perry was stopped, 
and boats were sent out. No one was lost from the Wing. The 
stewardess was about the last person to be rescued. She had re- 
treated from the flames, towards the aft part of the boat, and it 
was from here that she was rescued. The Eagle's Wing proved 
a total loss. 

On the Fourth of July, 1865, the people of Providence saw 
something new in the way of a Fourth of July procession. It 
was the "Antiques and Horribles." There was plenty of the 
antique, but nothing of the horrible ; humorous would have been 
a more appropriate term. There were all sorts of queer cos- 



43 

tumos, like a Mardi Gras ; some on foot, some on horse, some on 
wheels — all soils of queer regalia, all sorts of colors ; the variety 
was great. It produced a great deal of amusement. 

Mr. Lindsley kept a small store on the corner of Wickendeu 
street and Bridge. He made cigars. His trade was all retail, 
and the boys patronized him. He made light cinnamon cigars, 
which he sold for a cent apiece. These were the cigars that the 
boys of those days learned to smoke — their initiation in smoking. 
To-day the boys commence with cigarettes, but I think the Linds- 
ley's cinnamon cigars were preferable to the cigarette. About 
185-5 or '06 Mr. Lindsley's daughter was riding with Mr. Hodges 
in an old fashioned shay, when, in turning theconier from Sheldon 
street to Benefit, they ran into the lamp post, tlirowing Miss Linds- 
ley out, and killing her. 

William Martin was an unique character. He was familiarly 
called Billy. 

"Iligli Billy Martin, tip toe fine. 
Couldn't find a wife to suit his mind." 

William Martin was a gentleman. He drove a market wagon. 
When the stores began to deliver goods no royal coachman sat 
on his box in a grander style than Martin. He was always well 
dressed, ^jolite and kind. 

Some time in the thirties Mr. Samuel M. Noyes went out to 
Cuba, going into business with his father's cousin, William 
Jenckes, who was also from Providence. For some years he was a 
commission merchant in INIatanzas, then bought coffee and sugar 
plantations, as Mr. Jenckes had done before him. This brought 
out to Cuba quite a colony of Rhode Islanders. Among them 
was my aunt, Eliza Updyke Boone. While she was there she 
saw two negro insurrections. After she returned to the States, 
when on the South Kingston farm, of an evening, she would en- 
tertain her nephews and nieces by telling them about these slave 
insurrections. 

Amos C. Barstow was a man of whom the citizens of Provi- 
dence ought to be proud. He was at the head of a large and 
flourishing stove industry, and became Mayor of Providence. 
He w'as a most eloquent rnan. While he would be classed under 
the head of a self-made man, ho was scholarly and classical, far 
more so than half of the university men. Would that there Avere 



44 

more such self-made men ! He should have been seut to the 
United States Senate. About 1875 he was a candidate, he and 
Nathan F. Dixon. Then the Anthonj^ pai'ty, to offset these two 
worthy men, ran in a soldier. It was popular ; the soldier ele- 
ment was flattered, so General Burnside was made a United 
States Senator. He was a fine soldier, but a failure as a Senator. 
He undertook to reply to Roscoe Conkling, and the reply was 
silly. In a hand to hand fight he might as well have under- 
taken to attack a Jeffries. Roscoe Conkling was a Jeffries in 
the Senate, while Burnside was an infant. The simple reason 
for putting Burnside into the Senate was because Mr. Anthony 
did not want any man there from Rhode Island who would over- 
shadow him, and both Dixon and Barstow would have done so. 
At least, they were his peers in intellect, and were far superior 
in ability to do good work; they were both fine orators, while 
Anthony was an indifferent one. He could write well, but he 
was no orator. He was a courteous gentleman, and served the 
State well, with the exception of keeping out Amos C. Barstow 
and Nathan F. Dixon, and putting in the stick Burnside. 

John Turner engineered the Burnside forces in the State Legis- 
lature. John Turner was an able man, a graduate of Brown. 
While a student he had some controversy with Professor Way- 
land. He disliked mathematics, and argued the case with the 
President, as to studying this branch. While mathematics would 
be of no special use to a lawyer, as a study it was of value, so I 
think that Mr. Turner made a mistake in this. He married 
Judge's Blake's niece, and took up his residence iu Bristol. For 
a number of years he was clerk of the House of Representatives 
of the State. He died in middle life. Had he lived he evi- 
dently would have had a bright future before him, perhaps the 
United States Senate. He was an able man, industrious, and of 
superior common sense, and a good lawyer. In looks he re- 
sembled Roscoe Conkling. 

One of the youthful industries of the passing generation, in 
the fifties, was the making of sweetfern and bayberry cigars. 
Sweetfern was preferred, but it was not, at times, so easy to secure, 
so bayberry was taken as a substitute. On Saturdays the boys 
would go over Red Bridge into Seekonk, and get their sweetfern 
or bayberry, bring it home, and during the week dry it. For 
headquarters of the factory they would secure a large dry goods 

L. f/f C. 



45 

box ; from the house they woukl get flour and water, and make 
their paste. They would borrow their mother's mortar ; an old 
co})y book furnished the paper for wrappers, and a stick about 
the size of a lead pencil the former. With these tools they would 
go to work, and there was a great deal of system about their 
work. One boy would strip the leaves off'of the plant and pound 
tiiem in the mortar ; others would make the wrappers. Some- 
times they would get their sisters to help them in the work. 
After a few hundred wrappers were made they began the filling. 
Some old plate, pan or paper was used to catch the filling that 
did not get into the wrapper. As the wrappers were filled, one 
of the boys would close them. The cigars were now made. The 
next step was to sell them. A few were sold for ready cash, pen- 
nies — perhaps five or six for a cent ; but the most of them were 
sold for old junk, mostly old nails. These were sold for money. 
In those days old iron commanded a much higher price than now ; 
I think about five cents a pound. As there was no outside com- 
petition, the industry needed no protection. It was a good school. 
It tauglit the boys business ways, how to collect the crude mate- 
rial and to manufacture it into marketable wares. It also taught 
them how to act as salesmen, how to procure supplies, how to dis- 
pose of the wares, and how to handle the money, and gave them 
practical lessons in arithmetic. 

In the fifties the boys used to have bows and arrows. Mr. 
Cornwell, who had a small wheelwright shop on Benefit street, 
next south of the Bethel, made the bows for the boys. They 
•»^ T* ■**wcre made of ash, and were about four feet long and about oueAf ' jjL 
' ' "'" and half inches wide i«-JJifijceiit£J*, and about one-half incK at 
the ends. The boys made their own arrows out of soft, straight 
pine. On Saturdays there were various shooting matches. They 
all could hit a barn door within a hundred feet. 

In those days the word cigar was often spelled " segar." But 
"segar" is now never used. Yet " segar" is the more common 
sound lieard. " Ci " is harsh, while " se " is soft. AVe si)ell the 
word with an i but we call it e. Yet our language is full of such 
inconsistencies. It would seem well to adopt the plan so often 
pleaded for, to spell our words as we pronounce them. 

Friday afternoon Mr. Godding, the teacher in the old Third 
Ward Grammar School, would suspend the regular exercises, and 
read short stories and extracts from good authors. One of the 




46 

short pieces was a story by Edward Everett, ou houesty. The 
illustration was, when you see a safe say to yourself that safe 
was not made for me ; as far as I am concerned all the valuables 
in that safe might be exposed on the table. Our Friday after- 
noon exercises would always be ended by singing. The last song 
to be sung was always, " Lord Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing." 
Those were holy hours. 

I must not forget Mr. Clark, the singing teacher. Mr. Clark 
was a refined gentleman ; under his tuition the boys learned to 
sing ; the girls learned the notes, but the boys could not do that, 
but they could readily catch a tune. Because the boys could 
not learn the notes the Superintendent and the Committee de- 
cided to employ another man. I do not remember his name. 
He knew music, but there was no music in his soul. There Avas 
nothing delicate or refined in his nature. He tired rather than 
entertained. So the boys learned nothing from him. He worked 
very hard, but all to no purpose. Mr. Clark was a musician by 
nature, and a man with a deal of common sense. It was a mistake 
to discharge Mr. Clark and hire this other man. 

While Rhode Island is the smallest State in the Union, the 
little Benjamin of States, none have had a more powerful in- 
fluence for good upon the destinies of the world. 

The people of Providence should honor Daniel Leech, who 
for so many years was the Superintendent of the Public Schools. 
He is the man who perfected the model plan for the schoolhouse, 
a plan now universally followed. The Thayer street schoolhouse 
was the first built after this plan — rooms in the center, stair- 
ways at ends, enclosed in towerlike additions. These stairways 
were practically fireproof; and by using iron they could be 
made entirely so. All honor to Daniel Leech for his interest in 
the schoolhouse, and for the supei'ior, yet simple, model, that he 
gave to the world. 

In 1G36 Roger Williams established the Providence Planta- 
tions. He was the foremost man of his day. If there was ever 
an inspired man, it was Roger Williams. The world was narrow ; 
he would extend the borders of thought. It required sacrifice of 
personal comfoi-t, but he was e(|ual to the occasion. The idea of 
soul-liberty spread until it reached the extreme borders of the 
land. Few realize this ; indeed few know of Roger Williams and 
his work — the work for which he so zealously labored. Very 



47 

few have had the honor of such influence. It was in harmony 
with the teachings of the old Hebrew prophets — peace on earth, 
good will towards man — towards all men. We have no likeness 
of Mr. Williams. The pictures and statues of him are all ideal. 
John Milton furnished the ideal likeness. The statue of Roger 
AVilliams should have been placed upon the new capitol at Prov- 
idence. Some day we hope the present ideal, which represents 
nothing in particular, may be removed, and that of Roger Wil- 
liams be put in its place. 

ISAAC PITMAN NOYES. 

Washington, D. C, May, 1905. 



